


make my day like coffee

by potstickermaster



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, lena isn't your sugar mommy ceo here, well she's still rich but she's also a corporate slaveworker, where i make sam and lena exes again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:40:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22048786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potstickermaster/pseuds/potstickermaster
Summary: “Hey, babe.”A blonde in glasses and a neat ponytail appears from behind Sam, grinning from ear to ear, and gives Lena a small wave. Lena’s eyes widen for a second, then she bites her lip, and commits herself to the lie.“Hey, babe, there you are.”or where office-worker Lena meets Kara in a coffee shop, then proceeds to fake-date her to prove something to her ex, except it doesn't always go as planned, does it?
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 86
Kudos: 2022





	make my day like coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This fic is unbetaed, so apologies for the mistakes. This is in part a need for me to contribute to the classic tropes/prompts and in part a commission for @disappointingcroissant:
> 
> _id love your take on a lena gettin hit on or needing saving from someone in a social situation and kara swooping in with the ol’ we’re dating but have actually never met save. Complete w necessary but polite touching to make it believable_
> 
> Also, it’s 2020 here in a few hours, so happy new year kids, and may the next year treat us all (and our ships) better.

Lena fights a yawn as she walks the short way from L-Corp to the building with a row of shops just beside it. It’s already nine in the morning and she is still sleepy, despite the cup and a half of coffee she already had just two hours ago. Tuesdays are weird days. Lena is left reeling from Monday meetings and alignments coming from the past week, and she has a never-ending project list to go through before the week ends, but at the same time, Tuesday is also the day farthest from yet another Monday. Add to that the odd pacing of the holidays—where projects are both slowed down and rushed—and Lena is already wishing for Saturday to roll around. 

It isn’t that she _hates_ her job. She’s _great_ at it—she had surpassed her KPIs for the year five months into it so everything else is just icing on the cake—but being a business development head at twenty-five with a little more than two years of working experience, her MBA aside, isn’t easy, especially when people think she’s handed the role because her last name is on the building.

If there’s anything Lena is good at though, it’s proving people wrong, even if— _especially_ when—it’s out of spite. She’s brilliant like Lex, even if Lillian would never acknowledge it. It takes some time for people to actually believe Lena _deserves_ her role in the company. She has found her footing around work though, enjoying certain aspects of it to some extent. It isn’t the engineering career she wanted, but she gets to apply her expertise to some projects, and Lex lets her act as a consultant to some of the teams when she has time.

But it gets exhausting, the pace she has set. With a lot of projects and partnerships pending, Lena has spent the night before going through documents and proposals. Thankfully the 8AM conference call she had started on time and ended early, giving Lena some time to walk her sleepiness away and grab some coffee at the shop near Luthor Corp.

 _The Coffee Bean_ doesn’t have the most creative name for a coffee shop and fails in branding as far as Lena is concerned, but their baristas do make the best coffee in the block. The shop is very cozy, too, despite its overdecoration and abundance of motivational murals and signs all over the place. Must be to combat the dullness of the companies around it.

It’s a stark contrast to the corporate hum of her office, and that is perhaps what Lena likes most about it. Sometimes, when Lex keeps hounding her about projects and approvals, she brings her laptop to the coffee shop and work for hours until Lex starts blowing up her phone with calls.

It’s annoying, how he brings his so-called “big brother tendencies” to work, though it’s what saved her ass a few times, when she was just starting out.

The bell by the entrance rings as Lena pushes the door open, and a mandatory “Happy holidays and welcome to _The Coffee Bean!”_ is called out by whoever is at the counter. The shop is still a bit busy this time of the morning, but there’s less people compared to earlier hours. Some acoustic version of a Christmas song plays overhead. Lena’s phone vibrates in her pocket as she makes her way to the line, and she takes it out to find an email from a potential partner, confirming if—

“Lena Luthor, as I live and breathe,” a voice says, and Lena looks up to find a familiar face that has the young Luthor breaking into a smile before a sort of dread settles in her stomach.

“Sam,” she greets, and before she could say anything else, the taller woman is pulling her into a careful hug, Sam mindful of the cup of iced drink she has in her hand. Lena smells vanilla on her. She gently wraps her arms around the taller woman and awkwardly pats her back. “What are you doing here?”

Sam laughs as she pulls back, a stray dark hair falling over her face. “Good to see you, too.”

Lena blushes a bit at that. _Damn it_. She was caught off-guard is all. “I didn’t mean that.”

“I know,” Sam says with a bright smile. So much brighter than the stupid fairy lights adorning the walls of the coffee shop. “I just had some papers to process with a firm a few buildings over. How are you? L-Corp’s just nearby, right? Are you with Lex?”

It makes Lena a bit lightheaded. Not just the questions, or the fact Samantha Arias looks so _exquisite_ in a dark navy suit and high heels, but rather the sheer surprise of finding her in this coffee shop of all places.

It’s been _years._

“I’ve been good,” Lena hopes her smile doesn’t look as forced as it feels. She eyes the queue to the counter. Maybe two or three people in the line. She could easily excuse herself, tell Sam she didn’t expect the line to take long and she had a meeting, except she doesn’t. Instead she looks back at Sam and smiles. “And no. I’m actually here with my girlfriend,” she says.

Lena realizes it’s the wrong thing to say when Sam’s eyebrows rise to her hairline, before her lips widen into a grin. “Well, aren’t you going to introduce an old friend?”

Lena panics. Only internally, of course. She knows she should take it back—they could just laugh about it. Like old times. She eyes the tables in the pretense of looking for her non-existent girlfriend. _Fuck. No. Stop, Lena._ It’s just Sam. She would understand, right?

“Hey, babe.”

A blonde in glasses and a neat ponytail appears from behind Sam, grinning from ear to ear, and gives Lena a small wave. Lena’s eyes widen for a second, then she bites her lip, and commits herself to the lie.

“Hey, babe, there you are.” Lena lets out a laugh that sounds relieved, but none of the two seem to notice as Sam eyes the blonde stranger, while the latter seems to square up her shoulders.

“Look who I found,” Lena continues, gesturing at Sam. The blonde hums and stands beside Lena—she is barely taller than Lena, but that might just be because of the heels Lena is wearing. The blonde doesn’t put much distance between them, but at the same time, she isn’t close enough to make Lena feel uncomfortable. Lena sees the stranger move her hand in the corner of her eye, and she feels the fabric of her blouse rustle to know that she means to put her hand on the small of Lena’s back, but Lena never feels the touch. Like her hand just hovered close enough for Sam to think of it as an affectionate gesture.

Something flutters in Lena’s chest, like old fairy lights flickering to life.

Lena is shaken from her thoughts when Sam offers her hand for the stranger to shake. “Hi. I’m Sam, nice to meet you.”

“Hey. I’m Kara.” The blonde shakes Sam’s hand firmly and glances at Lena. Her eyes are a bright blue and twinkling with mirth, but Lena might just be overthinking things. _Kara_ looks back at Sam with a friendly grin. “She’s told me a few things about you.”

“Ah.” Sam chuckles and quirks an eyebrow. “Only the good things I hope.”

“You wish.” Kara actually laughs, and _god,_ Lena has to say this woman was a fantastic actress.

Sam shakes her head and turns to Lena with amusement. “Always know how to pick them, don’t you,” she says, like she is _impressed,_ then addresses the pair. “Anyway, I have to go because I do have an appointment, but maybe we could catch up one of these days? The holidays aren’t making you too busy, are they?”

_Shit._

“Sure,” Lena answers quickly, and takes note of the way Kara hides a small chuckle. Lena just nods, grateful this is over. “I’d love that. Just let me know.”

Sam seems satisfied with that. With her drink in hand, she gives the two a nod. “Alright, see you later, Lena.” She glances at the blonde beside the young Luthor, like she is regarding her one final time. “Nice to meet you, Kara.”

Kara gives her a nod and a smile. “Nice to meet you too,” she says, and Lena feels more then sees the blonde drop her hand from the small of Lena’s back.

Sam walks away, giving the pair another glance. Lena waves at her retreating form and sighs when she’s finally out of the coffee shop.

“Well. It was nice to meet her,” the blonde says, her tone quite playful. “And nice to meet you too, babe.”

Lena turns to her with wide eyes. She realizes she isn’t too close anymore. In fact, the blonde is stepping to the end of the line. Like what happened was nothing, despite Lena’s racing heartbeat.

Right. She was probably here to get coffee. Lena needed coffee, too. Or something stronger, right about now.

“I am _so_ sorry about that,” Lena says with a sigh. She walks up to the end of the line behind her, barely able to look at the stranger in the eyes. Lena notices the brown oxfords she is wearing. Lena drags her eyes up to meet bright blue ones, seeming to study her. Lena gapes for a second. “But I- I’m- well, I’m really grateful. God,” she shakes her head, “that would’ve been awkward.”

“Not any more awkward if I had stepped in and you outright denied I was your girlfriend,” Kara says with a soft laugh.

Lena winces at that. Maybe that would have been better. Would it have been? She isn’t really sure. Kara tilts her head. “So… Who was that?”

“Just a friend,” Lena answers, far too quickly.

Kara hums. The line moves and Kara steps forward, but she keeps her eyes on Lena. “So, an ex you’re still hung up on, huh?” She says, pushing up her glasses.

“What? No.” Lena chuckles. She doesn’t really feel like telling a stranger about Sam, especially when Lena is still a bit _shaken_ from their encounter, but she feels like she could at least tell Kara. It’s the least she could do. “We actually parted on good terms and we’re kind of friends?” She says, though she sounds unsure now that she said it out loud. She shrugs. “It’s been years since I’ve last seen her since she’s working in Metropolis, and… I guess it kind of just slipped.”

“Slipped?” Kara says with a small smile.

“I panicked.” Lena laughs softly. God. Kara must think she’s someone who hasn’t outgrown her immature, petty tendencies, or worse, that she’s someone who’s a compulsive liar. Lena bites her lip. “You are my hero, though, for saving be back there, so I guess I do kind of owe you.” She steps forward as the line moves. “As thanks, I’ll get you a coffee. And a bagel. Anything you want.”

Kara looks thoughtful for a second. She glances at the glass display of the various cakes and pastries sold at _The Coffee Bean._ “Anything?”

Lena nods. Sure, she shouldn’t be rewarding this stranger when she had practically enabled Lena to _lie_ to someone about something, but it’s harmless, isn’t it? It’s _fine._

Kara seems to think about it. Lena takes the time to study her: she looks like an office worker, for one, professionally dressed with her crisp light blue shirt with only the top button undone, tucked in neat slacks with a leather belt that matched her shoes. A sharp jaw, a strong build. Green eyes flicker to Kara’s arms as the blonde puts her hands on her hips, looking so damn serious about her choice of breakfast. The fabric of the shirt pulls taut against her toned arms, and Lena swallows.

She is good-looking, Lena would give her that. It’s just Lena’s luck to have her stumble into her ex one minute then have a gorgeous blonde come to her aid the next. If it were any time, Lena thinks she’d definitely fancy a drink or two with this woman. Maybe take her home and spend the night under her—

“Donuts would be nice,” Kara finally says, looking at Lena again. Lena blushes a hot red at being caught staring, and she immediately becomes paranoid about Kara hearing her not-so-innocent thoughts, but Kara doesn’t seem to notice as she steps to the counter to greet the barista at the counter.

“Hey Nia.”

The barista, a young woman with dark hair that Lena has seen a few times, grins at them. “Good morning,” she addresses Lena, then at Kara, an amused smile. “The usual today, Kara?”

Familiar. Lena glances at the barista, then Kara, before dragging her gaze to the menu on the wall across them.

“For me, yeah, but just a medium one,” Kara responds. “And one of your strawberry donuts and… Hm, honey-glazed?” Kara looks at Lena at this, like she is asking if her order was okay.

“Sure,” Lena answers, then turns to Nia. “I’ll have a medium cup of black coffee, one sugar, and scalding hot, please.”

“Okay.” Nia parrots back their order. “Are you two together?”

Lena’s eyes widen and she shakes her head, putting some space between her and Kara. “I- No, I don’t even know her,” she mutters, while Kara laughs beside her.

“She’s treating me for coffee and donuts, yeah,” Kara says. Lena blushes yet again as she hands Nia her card. The barista doesn’t say anything, just grins and rings them up, and for that Lena is grateful. She slips a twenty-dollar bill into the tip box and shuffles to the side when Nia returns her card with the receipt.

Lena notices Kara slip another bill into the tip box, too, but doesn’t see how much. She is thanking Nia and wishing her a great day as the woman hands her the donuts.

“Here you go,” Kara says, handing Lena one. “You eat donuts, right?”

Lena looks confused for a second, but she takes the offered honey-glazed donut wrapped in wax paper. “Well. I am human,” she mumbles, and looks at Kara, her eyebrows furrowed. Kara only takes a bite of her strawberry-glazed donut.

“You know,” she starts, despite still chewing, and before Lena could get annoyed about it, Kara is swallowing and grinning sheepishly. “Sorry. But, I’ve had the chance to step up and pretend to be people’s fake girlfriend once or twice. In bars at least, when men kept hounding them. That earlier was a first.”

Lena stares at Kara at that, not really knowing what to say. A part of her wants to snap at this bright-eyed, good-looking blonde for sticking her nose in her business—she also wants Kara to stick something else somewhere else, but Lena chalks it up to her system’s lack of caffeine and probably her overdue need to get laid—but a bigger part of her feels guilty for roping in this stranger _and_ lying to Sam about it.

“Sam’s a great woman,” Lena says softly. She looks down at her donut and shrugs. “We broke up because I prioritized my career first. I mean, it’s been a few years, and she’s been dating this great lawyer. I guess I kind of wanted to show her that I’m fine, you know. Work-wise and relationship-wise.” Lena shakes her head and laughs softly, looking up at Kara. “I’m really sorry I dragged you into this, and dumping this on you with no caffeine _or_ alcohol involved.”

Another barista comes up to the counter and calls for Kara. The blonde walks up to him and takes the two cups.

“Thanks, Brainy, have a good day,” she says with a smile, before facing Lena again. She hands the woman her drink.

“It’s fine. I practically volunteered, anyway, and I got a free coffee and a donut after all.” Kara raises her cup and shakes it. Iced coffee. Then she smiles, one that makes Lena feel like she’s holding the cup of hot coffee against her chest. Lena thinks it’s too early in the day—in the _week—_ for someone to be this happy. “I do have to go, though,” Kara says, gesturing to the door. “I dressed all fancy for a meeting and I can’t be late.”

Kara walks backwards towards the door, still smiling at Lena. She gives her a wave and lifts her cup of coffee. “See you later, babe!”

Lena wills the ground to swallow her whole.

//

Lena returns to work shortly after the coffee shop fiasco. She nibbles on the donut as she works. She thinks back to Kara, her bright sunny smile, those arms under her shirt…

_Hey, babe._

Lena sighs and pushes the thought of the blonde stranger away. It’s easy when her next call starts, and her day snowballs into a flurry of meetings and presentations that keep her mind as far away from what transpired in the morning as possible.

It’s almost eight in the evening when Lena finally gets out of her last meeting, with a rather frustrating client. Most of her colleagues have already left. Lena sighs as she heads to her office. She is already looking forward to going home, maybe getting some Chinese takeout, and then heading to bed before yet another early day tomorrow.

She is just getting into a cab home when her phone rings. After telling the driver her address, she checks the caller ID. _Sam Arias._

_Fucking hell._

Lena looks out the car window and lets out a sigh before answering the call. “Hey, Sam,” she answers, leaning back against her seat.

“You better be on your way home already,” Sam chides.

Lena laughs. “I am, as a matter of fact.”

“Good,” Sam replies. Lena hears the smile in her voice. It reminds of Lena of years ago. Sam continues. “So, about that catch-up. I’m available Friday if you guys are.”

Lena makes a small sound. She massages her temple as she listens to Sam talk. “Is Japanese food fine with Kara? I’ve missed _Marugame_ a lot, and no one in Metropolis can match their food.”

She should come clean. Lena knows she should come clean. Instead, she lets out a breath. “Well, I’ll have to ask her,” she says, and winces once the words were out. “If she’s free on Friday, I mean.”

“If she isn’t, we can do over the weekend or something, just let me know. I’m here until Monday, just to close a deal before holiday break.” _Damn it, Sam._ “I’d love to catch up with both of you before I leave for Metropolis. It’s been a while, Lena. You never told me about her!”

“It’s fairly new,” Lena says. _Stop it._

“Well, I promise not to interrogate her so much then,” Sam laughs. “Oh, I have to go, my ride’s here. Text me when you two are free, alright?”

“Alright. See you soon, Sam.”

“Later, Luthor.” A pause, and when Sam speaks again, Lena doesn’t have to close her eyes to see her smile. “I’m glad you’re doing well.”

The call ends. Lena sighs and sags in her seat.

_Fuck._

//

Lena had every intention to call Sam that night when she got home. Maybe to come clean, or probably tell Sam that she and Kara had already ended their non-existent relationship.

She doesn’t.

She is still thinking about it the next day, as she walks into _The Coffee Bean_ barely six in the morning. Nia is already at the counter. The young woman beams at her.

“Good morning and welcome to _The Coffee Bean._ What will you be having today?”

Lena glances over the menu and wonders what Kara’s usual is. Before she could order that, she orders another tall cup of black coffee, one sugar, scalding hot. Nia punches her order.

“And a honey-glazed, please,” Lena adds.

Nia smiles and nods. “Got it. Anything else?”

Lena shakes her head. She hands Nia her card after she is given the total.

_Stop._

Lena fishes a fifty from her wallet. She slips it into the tip box, then bites her lip.

_No. Don’t._

“You know Kara?” Lena finally asks, the words almost heavy they come a little breathless. She pretends to fidget with her wallet.

Nia doesn’t look surprised at the question, though. She nods. “Yeah. One of our regulars,” she says, and hands Lena her card and receipt. “She actually works in the building just across the street.”

Lena turns to look at it. She realizes it’s the CatCo building and she files the knowledge away before looking back at Nia with a small smile. “She helped me out yesterday with… something.”

Nia smiles. “That’s Kara. Ball of sunshine, isn’t she?”

Lena chuckles and nods. She stops herself before she could ask Nia what time Kara usually comes in, or if she has the blonde’s number just so she could call. She gets her coffee and donut and leaves with a smile over at Nia, and thinks about calling Sam, yet again, because she possibly can’t bother a total stranger about this catch-up meal with her ex, albeit good friend, right?

And yet, Lena still doesn’t call. Thankfully, Sam doesn’t call her again. Lena is busy enough that day to not dwell on her problem at hand, at least until she is on her way home at ten in the evening and she considers, _yet again,_ about coming clean. It will take pride on her part and probably some scolding from Sam about it, but she can handle that.

It’s easier, really. Certainly easier than asking ball-of-sunshine, good-looking Kara on a date, however _fake,_ because Lena told her ex she’s her girlfriend.

It’s funny, because Lena has faced countless intimidating men and women in positions of power and had managed to get what she wanted from them, and yet, she finds it difficult to get herself out of the grave she dug herself into.

Except she still doesn’t call Sam. Lena wants to think it’s her pride, really.

//

The next day, Lena decides to work at the coffee shop. Nia assists her with her order of coffee and honey-glazed donut—which she never actually ordered before until Kara had, two days ago—and wishes her a great day.

During the first hour, Lena is still paying the door attention, in hopes of maybe, just maybe, catching a glimpse of her blonde heroine. It’s her last chance to try and find Kara, to hold on to her excuse before she needed to call Sam and come clean.

It’s bad, she knows; Lena remembers a vague memory of a similar plan like this, which involved Veronica Sinclair and boarding school shenanigans, and ended up with Lena having to do four weekends-worth of community service.

To be fair, those four weekends-worth of community service had always ended with her sweaty and sated in bed under a smirking Veronica, and Lena isn’t entirely sure this dumb plan of hers will get her the same pleasure this time.

Work had successfully sucked Lena in come the next few hours. She’s typing a frustrated email when the chair across her is pulled out, but Lena ignores it. She didn’t mind sharing her workspace as long as people left her to her own business.

“Hey babe.”

Lena rereads her email draft. Satisfied with the amount of passive aggression in it, she sends it with a huff.

Then there’s a gentle hand on her wrist.

Lena jerks in surprise and turns—glares—at the person who dared interrupt her, but the person balks, pulls back her hand, and gives Lena a sheepish grin.

“Sorry,” Kara says softly, and she is already half-rising from her seat. “Are you busy? I can go.”

“It’s fine. You just—” Lena bites her lip and turns at Kara. The blonde’s earlier greeting, though brushed off, hangs in the air. Lena just didn’t realize it was meant for _her._ She sighs. “When will you let that die?”

Kara sits again and grins. “It’s not every day that I get to swoop in and be called a beautiful woman’s girlfriend.”

“I really am sorry about that,” Lena says, lowering the lid of her laptop but not completely closing it shut. She notices the cup of iced coffee and the strawberry donut in wax paper in front of Kara.

“You need to stop saying sorry. I stepped up to it after all. Besides.” Kara shrugs and fidgets with the lid of her cup. She meets Lena’s gaze, just above her glasses, then pushes the frames up with her free hand. “I’m not sorry. I don’t mind. Do you?”

Lena has to swallow the cotton in her throat at that. Does she mind? No, no she doesn’t, especially since she has a favor to ask of Kara and she might just need the woman to keep calling her _babe._ Still, she can’t help but answer. “Are you going to keep teasing me about it?”

Kara grins sheepishly. “I can stop calling you babe.”

Lena sighs. “I only called you that because I didn’t know your name.”

“Kara,” she says. “But you can call me yours.”

Lena laughs and playfully roll her eyes. “Stop.”

“You can call me whatever you want, and I promise to stop calling you babe,” Kara says, her eyes earnest and her smile warm, like all she wants is to make Lena feel comfortable, and Lena appreciates it. The blonde’s watch beeps, a notification of a meeting all-too familiar to Lena. Kara frowns down at it. “Ah, I have to go. Work awaits.”

Kara sighs and stands, but before she could go, Lena stops her. Lena isn’t sure, but Kara seems to tense at it. Like she’s nervous.

“Sorry,” Lena says, biting her lip. “It’s just— you know, you remember Sam?”

“Ah.” Kara’s shoulders relax, and that comfortable, charming grin returns to her lips. “My rival to your heart, how could I forget?”

“She’s not—” Lena shakes her head in amusement. “I know this is a huge favor to ask, and you can say no, really, I can find a way out of it somehow, but I do want to ask you if, you know—”

“Why, Lena,” Kara interrupts, and that smile on her lips turns wider. “Are you asking me out?”

Lena turns red at that. “You can keep calling me babe if you go on a fake date with me? I promise I’m not a murderer or something.”

“I definitely wasn’t thinking that until you’ve mentioned it,” Kara says pointedly.

Lena gapes at that. “I have a police clearance?” She offers.

“Shouldn’t you be asking for mine?” Kara says.

“Are you a murderer?” Lena asks.

Kara laughs again. The sound is beautiful, and Lena thinks this fake date might just be _easy_ if Kara just agreed. “No, I’m not a murderer.”

“I did hear you’re a very kind person,” Lena says, and she sighs. “And you’re still talking to me even if you know I’m dragging you into a big fat lie, so…”

Kara hums. “Well, I’m all buttered up now,” she says with a little laugh, and Lena inches to the edge of her seat. “When’s this fake date?”

Lena shuts her laptop closed, glances out the coffee shop before meeting Kara’s gaze again. “Tomorrow night supposedly, but I don’t think that’s enough time for us to… you know. Prepare.”

Kara tilts her head. “Oh?”

“We barely know stuff about each other and you forget. Sam’s my ex.” Lena waves her hand vaguely. “She knows things.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” Kara mumbles, pushing up her glasses. “So… Saturday night then?”

Lena purses her lips, then nods. “Okay. Japanese food okay? There’s this place, _Marugame._ Just downtown.”

“That’s…” Kara blinks. “That’s not a cheap place.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lena assures. “Dinner’s on me, because this is a huge favor I’m asking of you, and I can even pay you for your time—”

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Kara says. “Just dinner at the finest Japanese restaurant in the city is fine with me.” Her smartwatch beeps again. Kara sighs at it. “I really do have to go though. Sorry.”

Lena nods. “You’re not off to meet a woman you’re cheating on me with are you?”

Kara laughs and beams. “As if I’d dare. Later, babe.”

Then she’s jogging her way out of the coffee shop. Lena shakes her head, realizes her heart is racing; when it calms down, she feels the distant buzzing of nerves and excitement in her fingertips. She sighs and opens her laptop, determined to get back to work. Only then does she realize that she still hasn’t gotten Kara’s number. She has _one_ day before this stupid plan of hers has to commence, and she and Kara still had to brief each other about themselves if they were to make a believable pair.

Lena sighs, and resigns herself to just asking Nia about it later, or maybe leaving her business card for someone in the coffee shop to hand to Kara should she be one for end-of-day coffees or pastries.

The ringing of the bell by the doorway pulls her attention. Lena looks up just in time to find Kara, panting, cup of coffee and donut clutched in one hand, her other placing a business card on Lena’s table.

“Forgot to give my number, babe,” Kara says, breathless, and Lena imagines other ways to bring her to such state. “Call me.”

Then she’s gone again, leaving Lena to stare at the card she left.

_Kara Danvers_  
_Senior Editor, CatCo Worldwide Digital_

Huh.

//

If Lena ends up maybe stalking Kara Danvers on LinkedIn, it’s purely out of professional curiosity. She finds out that Kara is a few years older than her, if the year she started her career is any indication, and that she didn’t at all start her career path as a reporter, since she’s a Marketing graduate. She rose up through the ranks quickly and is a few months into her role, and Lena is thoroughly impressed—it seems Kara Danvers is much, much more than her devastating good looks.

If Lena ends up also searching for Kara Danvers on Facebook and later, Instagram, it’s only because she wants to know more about this _stranger_ who agreed to go on a date with her, albeit fake, because despite having a shiny resume and one of the senior roles in a worldwide organization, she may very well be a murderer, too. A good-looking murderer, sure, but a murderer still. Kara Danvers is close with her sister, has a dog named Krypto, and absolutely loves to eat, if the many, _many_ food photos she has on her profile are any indication.

Kara Danvers’ Instagram posts distract Lena from work, and the woman resigns herself to ending her work day instead of pretending to do something productive, cooped up in her office. She is in a cab on her way home when she accidentally, _accidentally,_ likes a photo of Kara Danvers on the beach. She’s wearing a one-piece lifeguard suit, her hair slightly wet, grinning that megawatt smile as she held up a rescue board above her head which made her arms flex those muscles and, really, it was all the cab driver’s fault for hitting the brake without any warning and god, did he turn off the air-conditioning too?

Lena is still internally debating whether she should unlike the photo from months back when she receives the notification that _kdanvers started following you!_

Damn it.

Well. At least she doesn’t have to unlike the photo now. 

A message from Kara comes in, and Lena opens it with a little nervous huff.

_Hey babe. :)_

And despite her nerves, it’s hard not to smile at that. Lena’s never really the type to casually text—she was more of the corporate emails and winding phone calls type of person—and it somehow makes her feel giddy. Young. Dumb.

_Figured my business number was_  
_too businessy?_

_“Businessy”_ _is not a word._

_Sssshhhh_

_No proofreading in these parts_

Lena finds that she doesn’t necessarily dislike the feeling.

She reminds herself she’s only taking Kara out for a _fake_ date, and that she will be better off treating this like a casual business meeting.

Lena watches the three dots indicating Kara is typing.

_Get breakfast with me tomorrow?_

_Are you asking me out?_

_Aren’t you already my girlfriend? :)_

Lena stares at the message, and fails to fight back the smile and the warmth that blooms in her cheeks.

//

Lena fights a yawn as she walks from L-Corp to _The Coffee Bean,_ after having dropped off her things and sent an email or two. A quick scan of the room tells her Kara isn’t at the coffee shop yet. Lena looks down at her phone; they agreed to meet at seven on the dot, since Kara has a meeting at eight and Lena has consultations from nine until noon. It’s too early for any social interaction, really, and she wonders if she will end up receiving a text from Kara, telling her she is backing out.

“Hey babe,” a voice behind her greets, and Lena isn’t able to fight the way she melts into a smile at it, even if she rolls her eyes. “Good morning,” Kara says as she stands in front of Lena, broad-shouldered and dapper in her pastel blue dress shirt and dark navy slacks, finished off with a matching blazer and brown oxfords. Breathtaking, really, and if Lena swoons a little, she’ll blame it on the lack of breakfast.

“How are you so bubbly first thing in the morning?” Lena grumbles instead, looking away from the blonde sight for sore eyes so she could step into the line to the counter. “I haven’t had my coffee yet.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Kara says with a laugh. “Not a morning person, then?”

“I require coffee before all my social interactions,” Lena counters.

“Well, they do say opposites attract,” Kara hums, and when Lena glances back at her at that, the blonde is grinning.

Lena can’t think of a response to that, so she just sighs. “You could’ve said no to my request, you know,” she murmurs. “I mean, I’m grateful that you agreed. And that you don’t think I’m a terrible person for lying to a friend.”

“We all have our reasons,” Kara shrugs. “I get it that you want someone to think that you’re okay. I don’t fully understand it, but I got your back.”

“You don’t even know me,” Lena says, with more bite than she has meant it to.

Kara doesn’t flinch; there’s understanding in her eyes, softness that doesn’t have a place in a stranger’s, and she just looks so _earnest_ that Lena wants to smack her in the face. With her lips, preferably.

“That’s why we’re here,” Kara says simply, _gently,_ like that is all it takes, and when it’s their turn to order, she takes the lead, and Lena appreciates it, far too caught off-guard with how Kara is treating her.

Lena skips the strawberry donut and asks for a croissant instead, and Kara hums as if to take note. The blonde insists on paying, too, and Nia watches them with amusement while they argue who will pay, until Lena relents when Kara points out she will be paying for their dinner.

They settle on a table near the back of the shop with their coffees and pastries. The blonde has her “usual,” and Lena watches her take a sip of the iced drink before she asks.

“What’s your usual?”

Kara looks down at her cup. “Large iced latte, extra pump of syrup, dash of cinnamon.” She takes another sip and points to Lena’s cup. “Is that your usual?”

“Regular cup of black, one sugar, scalding hot, yes.” Lena chuckles. “I usually forget to drink it as soon as I get to my office, so I need it scalding to have any semblance of warmth when I finally get to drink it.”

Kara chuckles. “Makes sense. I like it iced so I don’t burn my tongue.” She scrunches her nose, and Lena finds it endearing. “See, we already know more about each other than yesterday.”

Lena looks a little sheepish at that. “Well, I did kind of stalk you.”

“I figured,” Kara laughs. “I fully expected you to. I mean, I also stalked you. Lena Luthor. The giant L on the building next door stands for your last name.”

Lena sighs. How can she expect any less from a journalist, after all? “It’s not _my_ company.”

“I know, but still.” Kara shrugs. “It’s pretty awesome. Also intimidating, if I’m completely honest,” she pauses, chuckles awkwardly, and pushes her glasses up, “but awesome. You know our business section’s had their eyes on you in the past year?”

Lena raises an eyebrow at that.

Kara waves her hands defensively. “I’m not- It’s for totally good reasons, honest, because L-Corp growth doubled ever since you started, but I can stop talking about work if you prefer.” She grins. “I’m not here for an interview or anything.”

“Right,” Lena says, studying Kara for a moment. Kara looks _nervous_ now, like she is worried what she just said blew her chances, though at what, Lena isn’t sure. “Well. Um, I told Sam this is a fairly new thing, so we don’t have to have a very detailed background on each other. Just the basics, I guess.”

“Okay. How about you start?” Kara says, that earnest look in her eyes again. “To be honest, your LinkedIn profile is _very_ impressive, and I’ve read a few articles about your professional background, but you don’t have much in social media.”

Lena shrugs. “I don’t have much of a social media presence. I…” Lena bites her lip and wonders how to go about telling Kara that she doesn’t have _much_ in the way of friends, far too focused in her work, and instead decides to skip that part. “Um. I’m 25. I graduated bioengineering a little early and finished my MBA two years ago, while working for L-Corp. I live alone a few blocks from here. I don’t have pets, but I have a succulent in my office I call Edith. I used to play competitive chess, and almost made it to the Olympic fencing team. I… That’s it, I guess.”

When Lena is done with her little spiel, she looks at Kara again, only to find that the blonde hasn’t looked away from her.

Lena swallows.

“Why Edith?” Kara asks.

Lena blinks at that, and she struggles for a second to remember. “After Edith Clarke. She’s the first woman electrical engineer in the country.”

Kara hums. “Olympic fencing team, huh?”

Lena shrugs. “Chose college over it, really.”

“I get it,” Kara says with a smile. She takes another sip of her drink, pauses a second, and tells her own fact sheet: She’s 28, a little younger than Lena had expected, likes sweet drinks, loves to eat, her favorites being pizza and potstickers. Krypto is a shelter dog she adopted a few years back, and that she moved to reporting from marketing because of a calling.

“By calling I mean Ms. Grant telling me I shouldn’t be in Marketing,” she says, chuckling and shaking her head.

“Cat Grant,” Lena says dumbly. “Like… CatCo, Cat Grant.”

“Yeah. She’s been a mentor of sorts,” Kara grins. “And when Cat Grant tells you something, you listen.”

They spend some time talking about each other; it’s weird, learning so much about someone in such a short time. It feels forced, but at the same time Lena can’t help but lean into the way Kara speaks, can’t help but melt into the way Kara looks at her, like a book she can’t stop turning the pages of. They manage to agree on a story as well: They first met in this very coffee shop a few months back. Lena was working and Kara took the chance to ask her out.

It’s a semblance of truth. Kara had admitted to seeing Lena at the coffee shop, once or twice, and Lena apologized for not remembering Kara if she had seen her but the blonde only brushed it off, saying she didn’t have to. Lena had no complaints with the story; she was certain if that hypothetical story had happened the other way around, she wouldn’t have the guts to ask Kara out, and if it had happened, she no doubt would have said yes. She would have been caught off-guard and flustered, but she would have said yes.

Fifteen minutes before eight, Kara’s smartwatch beeps with a reminder of her meeting.

“Well. I think we’ve covered a lot,” Kara chuckles. “But, um, before I go, I think we do need to set some rules.” She clears her throat and sets her hands flat on the table. “I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable, but I’ve been told I’m a bit touchy sometimes, so maybe we should establish some…boundaries. Say. Hand-holding?”

Lena shrugs. “It’s fine,” she says, though now she is curious what Kara means with _touchy._

“Okay. Um.” Kara bites her lip for a moment. “How about hand on your back, or like, occasional hand on yours on the table?”

Lena glances at Kara’s hands at that. Kara seems to notice, and she pulls them back to the edge of the table with a sheepish smile.

“That’s… Okay. Anything with your hands are okay.” Lena’s eyes widen at her words and she blushes at the implication of it, but Kara doesn’t seem to notice.

“Okay.” Kara opens her mouth, closes it, then asks. “Have we kissed?”

That makes Lena laugh a little. “I’m not a nun,” she says, but her heart races at the thought of _kissing_ Kara Danvers.

Kara bites her lip, and Lena can’t stop herself from looking at the movement. “Okay. I mean, I don’t think we’ll _have_ to, in front of Sam, but uh—”

_We can, though._

_Stop._

“A kiss on the cheek, if the need arises?” Kara finishes.

When Lena looks up, she finds Kara looking at her lips, too, but only for a fleeting second before blue gaze flicks back up to meet Lena’s. 

Lena licks her suddenly dry lips. “That’s- That’s fine,” she assures, and clears her throat.

“Okay. Good. Cool.” Kara smiles. She fidgets with her glasses. “I think we’re all covered for tomorrow then?”

“Yeah,” Lena says. “I think we’re all good.”

Kara nods a few times, and there is awkward silence between them until her smartwatch beeps again. “Right. I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“See you.” 

Kara stands, then offers Lena a charming little grin, like it hadn’t just been awkward between them. 

“Later, babe.”

And just like that, Lena is smiling like a giddy school girl again. “Later, babe.”

//

Lena allows herself half an hour to sleep in that Saturday morning, before rolling out of bed for a jog. By the time she returns to her apartment, there’s messages from Kara telling her _good morning, babe :)_ and _I’ll pick you up later at seven?_

Which, out of context, totally sounds like something an actual girlfriend would say and Lena aches a little because, well, it isn’t _real._ She pushes it out of her head and goes ahead with her day, working through some proposals she has to read along with some documents she has to fill up. When the late afternoon rolls around, she showers and gets ready for her _fake_ date. 

She hates to admit that it takes her a little longer than usual to get ready. She hasn’t gone out in a while, at least not for casual dinner with friends. She’s had mixers and corporate dinners, but that was it. She definitely hasn’t gone out in years for a _date._

She settles with a tight black dress that she can’t go wrong with—that admittedly dipped a little lower than necessary, but that’s fine, right?—and pairs it with matching black pumps that made her a little taller. Some nice earrings, a neat bun, and a deep shade of red later and she’s ready to go to Saturday dinner. 

Who’s stupid idea was this again? Oh right. Hers. 

Seven on the dot, there are three sharp knocks on her apartment door. Lena lets out a shaky breath and gives herself a final glance in the mirror before grabbing her purse and heading to the door. 

She isn’t altogether prepared for the sight on the other side. 

Kara Danvers stands in front of her looking every inch a stunner: her ponytail is braided into a bun on her head, and she is wearing a light gray dress shirt, tucked in black casual pants, the hems neatly cuffed to show off muted rainbow-striped socks and her deep brown brogues. She has a coat that matches her pants draped over her arm, her hands fidgeting in front of her as she looks at Lena. 

“Wow,” Kara says after a while, her mouth parted a little as she _stares._

Lena feels her cheeks heat up and she blinks, looking down at her own outfit before gesturing vaguely at Kara as she tries to form words. 

“You go all out, don’t you?” Lena manages to say, laughing a little. Her mouth feels a little dry, and fake date or not, she isn’t at all prepared for _this._

“Well,” Kara chuckles, pushing up her glasses. “Let’s just say I’ve focused on my career these past few years too that I haven’t been this fancy in a while.” Kara smiles and lets out a breath as she takes in Lena’s appearance once again, then waves at her vaguely with both hands. “You look. Wow.”

Lena raises an eyebrow. “I thought you were a journalist. Isn’t eloquence one of your traits?” She dares say, as if her brain is functioning properly at the moment. 

Kara just laughs and shrugs. “I’m off the clock and it’s not my fault there are no words to describe how gorgeous you are right now,” she says, and she looks so damn _serious_ about it that Lena flusters for a second. “Are you sure you aren’t trying to take Sam back?”

Lena makes a small sound at that. “Definitely not.”

She thinks she imagines Kara mumbling _good_ under her breath, before Kara offers her an arm. “Shall we? My car’s downstairs.” 

Lena apprehensively looks down at the offered arm, then raises an eyebrow at the blonde. 

“Come on,” Kara grins. “I go all out, you said so yourself.” 

Lena rolls her eyes, and stops playing coy. Of course she is curious how those arms feel. She wraps her arm around Kara’s and almost stops breathing because god. She’s so—

“Okay, just to review our story,” Kara interrupts her train of thought, and Lena is grateful for it. 

//

Kara drives them to the restaurant, and as agreed, they review things. For her part, Kara seems unfazed, or at least, less nervous than Lena, which is good considering the raven-haired woman is seconds away from calling off on her plan. It’s better that one of them seems to be calm and collected—an anchor in this little thunderstorm of her own making. 

She doesn’t even notice they have arrived until she hears Kara softly calling out for her. 

“Hey,” Kara says, placing a hand on Lena’s. Lena freezes at the touch, and Kara gently pulls away with warmth in her eyes. “Sorry. Just, don’t be nervous, okay? We got this. It’s not like this is some secret mission and the world’s going to end if we fuck up.” Kara shrugs. “Let’s just try and have dinner with your friend.”

Lena lets out a long breath at that. “You’re right.”

Kara beams. “Oh, I like being the one who’s always right,” she says, and it’s enough to dissipate the rest of Lena’s worries. 

_“I’m_ the one who’s always right,” Lena says with a little laugh. 

“Whatever you say, babe.”

Maybe tonight isn’t going to be all that bad. 

//

Kara pulls all the stops and plays the doting girlfriend still comfortable in the honeymoon phase of a relationship: she opens the door for Lena and pulls her chair for her, despite the staff ready to assist her there. They arrive before Sam does, and Lena has to commend Kara’s dedication to her role considering their intended audience isn’t around yet. 

Sam arrives around five minutes later, in an outfit that would have had Lena melting like a puddle years back—a deep green shirt that accents her eyes, matching black blazer and pants, and heels that could kill. Her hair is in waves over her left shoulder, a light shade on her lips, that familiar smile on her face as she waves over at the two. 

Not that Lena doesn’t think Sam isn’t drop-dead gorgeous right now. Her thirst has just tempered. 

“Hey, have you two been waiting long?” Sam asks, casually giving Lena a kiss on the cheek that has the younger woman freezing. Sam only shakes Kara’s hand, though, and Kara for her part just smiles. Friendly and polite, but not as warm as the way she smiles at Lena. 

Like she’s… jealous? 

No. She can’t be. 

“No, we just arrived, too,” Lena assures. “How are you?”

“I’m good!” Sam says, taking a seat. The staff pours her some water. “Traffic’s worse than I remember.” 

“It’s the holidays,” Kara says with a chuckle. Lena glances at her, and the blonde looks at her with warmth in her eyes and a smile that says _relax._

So Lena does. It becomes easier, as the night goes. They order their food and though Kara said she hasn’t been to _Marugame,_ she at least knows her Japanese cuisine. Sam keeps her promise not to grill Kara too much, but the blonde is actually great with Sam—they get along just fine, which is better than Lena had expected considering this was her ex of two years and a stranger she just met five days ago. Lena had fully envisioned the night to crash and burn, not to have the three of them laughing and getting tipsy from wine and sake. Kara easily transitions the topic from their supposed “love story” to Sam’s line of work, and how she is with her own relationship. Sam fondly talks of Lucy and their holiday plans. Lena is happy for the two of them, and Lena stands by her reason she told Sam she has a girlfriend: that she’s fine, she’s happy, too, with life, with work, with her relationships. 

But Kara—Kara is _great,_ and lovely, and far too sweet for a pretend girlfriend that Lena stops at her third glass of wine lest she ends up being the touchy one. Kara asks Lena if she wants refills, or if she wants anything else, and the way she subtly brushes her fingers against Lena’s wrist as they eat or the way she looks at Lena with fondness in her eyes despite the five days they have known each other makes Lena want to tell her that she wants to taste that koshu grape wine on her lips. 

Sam insists— _insists,_ despite Lena offering, and despite Kara offering that had earned Lena’s not-so-subtle glare—to pay for their dinner, and sends the server with her card and an offer for the couple to treat her dinner next time. 

If Sam notices Lena’s awkward little laugh or the way Lena and Kara met each other’s gaze, she doesn’t say anything. 

At the end of the night, as Kara leaves to get her car, Sam smiles at Lena.

“I’m glad we caught up. I like Kara,” Sam says. “I was so sure she was some random woman in that coffee shop, you know.”

Lena’s eyes widen at that, just for a second, and before she could laugh it off, Sam is gasping. 

“Oh my god. No way. Was I right?” 

Lena winces at being caught, then sighs. “We were so _close,_ Sam.” 

“Oh my god!” Sam laughs. “God. You almost had me there.” 

“You’re not mad, are you?” Lena asks, worrying her fingers around her glass. 

“Mad? No, oh god.” Sam shakes her head, still chuckling. “No. I’m impressed, both at successfully roping someone into this and at _almost_ making me believe it.”

“I mean. I wanted to call it off,” Lena admits. “I guess I just wanted to prove I’m okay.” 

Sam’s look softens. “You know you don’t have to prove anything to anyone but yourself, Lena, but I’ll say this—happiness is a good look on you,” she says, carefully, and with a smile that makes Lena a bit confused. 

Lena lets out a long sigh and looks at the restaurant doorway, where Kara was just walking in. Kara waves and smiles at her, that warm and charming little smile, and Lena can’t help but smile and wave back. 

“Well. Pretend girlfriend or not,” Sam says, looking at Kara then at Lena with a knowing glint in her eyes, “I have to say, she’s good for you. I’ve seen that look in your eyes.” Sam smiles. “Besides. I kind of like her. You have to keep her now.”

Lena rolls her eyes. “She’s a stranger.” 

“You never told me you almost made it to the Olympics,” Sam points out. “Besides. We all have to start somewhere.”

“You ready to go?” Kara says, joining the two and placing a gentle hand on Lena’s shoulder. 

Lena hums and stands. Sam stands, too, and smiles at Kara. 

“This was great, you two,” Sam says. “Until next time?”

Kara beams. “Yeah. If you’re in town again, let me know. I know a place or two if you’re in need of recommendations.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kara offers a hand for Sam to shake, but Sam only stares at it before pulling Kara into a hug. She says something Lena doesn’t hear, but Kara laughs. 

“I know,” Kara says. “I will.”

Sam grins at that, then turns to Lena and hugs her as well. 

“Did you tell her?” Lena mumbles. 

Sam snickers. “Nope. You’re gonna tell her. Later, Luthor.”

//

Kara drives Lena home. Kara insists, reminding her again that she goes all out, and Lena doesn’t have the heart to say no especially when Kara had been so _good_ to her. Lena let herself have it, too—a comfortably quiet ride home, soft holiday music on the radio, and Kara’s stolen glances here and there. 

It’s not a real first date, sure, but the butterflies in her stomach think otherwise. 

When Kara offers to walk her to her apartment, Lena laughs. “You don’t have to, you know.”

“I go all out, remember?” Kara says. 

Lena hums. “Are you sure you’re not a murderer?”

“Not a murderer,” Kara chuckles.

“I bet that’s what murderers say,” Lena points out.

Kara laughs, soft and gentle that Lena wants to melt with it. “I actually had fun, you know,” Kara says, as they are getting into the elevator. 

“Me too,” Lena admits. She smiles at Kara and the blonde beams at her. “Sam knew though. I mean, she busted us the last minute.”

Kara winces. “Crap. Really?” She chuckles and fidgets with her glasses. The elevator dings open and they step out. “I was so sure she bought it. We hugged it out and everything.”

“No, that was real,” Lena laughs. “She said she’s impressed.”

“Still,” Kara says with a little smile. “I guess I’m not too good at acting, huh?”

Not too good? Lena wants to laugh. She was so _good_ at it the stupid butterflies in her belly won’t calm down. Lena hums and bites her lip. “I wouldn’t worry about it,” she says, as they stand in front of her apartment door. 

“Well. I mean.” Kara shrugs. “We can always start over and do better, next time.”

Lena turns to Kara and raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Kara looks down, fidgets with her glasses, then meets Lena’s gaze again. She looks nervous, the most Lena has seen her in the five days she’s known her. Kara sighs. “I mean, I guess we kind of did this in the wrong order, but I would love to actually be your girlfriend.” She blinks.

Lena thinks she’s forgotten how to breathe.

“If you’ll have me. We can start with dinner. Not tonight, obviously, but. Just the two of us.” Kara chuckles awkwardly and it’s endearing, and Lena wonders if she would still taste the wine on her lips, or if it’d only be the cool December air left there. “Or coffee. Breakfast, really. Anything.” Kara takes a shaky breath. “How’s that sound?”

Lena smiles. “I’d love that,” she says, and tastes mornings to come in Kara’s lips. 

//

“Hey babe.”

Lena smiles and leans into Kara’s side as the blonde places her hand on the small of Lena’s back, firm and steady. 

“Hey,” Lena greets back, and accepts the chaste kiss on the cheek she is offered. 

“Good morning, Kara,” Nia greets with a smile. “The usual for you?”

Kara nods. “Mhm. And the donuts too, please.”

“You two together?” Nia asks with a small knowing grin as she punches in the order. 

Lena laughs. “What? No, I don’t know her.”

Kara rolls her eyes, but her smile is brighter than the early morning sun. “Yeah. Yeah, we are.”


End file.
